Dreamer's Pool (Blackthorn & Grim #1)

by Juliet Marillier

Award-winning author Juliet Marillier "weaves magic, mythology, and folklore into every sentence on the page" (The Book Smugglers). Now she begins an all-new and enchanting series that will transport readers to a magical vision of ancient Ireland...
In exchange for help escaping her long and wrongful imprisonment, embittered magical healer Blackthorn has vowed to set aside Award-winning author Juliet Marillier "weaves magic, mythology, and folklore into every sentence on the page" (The Boo...

Dreamer's Pool (Blackthorn & Grim #1) Reviews

Nikki Apr 03, 2015

I should?ve got round to this ages ago, I know. I usually enjoy Juliet Marillier?s work, though I don?t always love it (I think Wolfskin and Foxmask didn?t work so well for me), and I read some very enthusiastic reviews about this one. There were one or two aspects that made me...

November 3-5, 2015
So I was just going to read the first part of this book to remember the characters and such, but the story just drew me in and I found myself reading it again and enjoying it very much!
November 4-8, 2014
I am so glad I splurged and bought this book the day it w...

Althea AnnSep 15, 2015

After being unfairly imprisoned by a cruel lord, the healer/wise woman Blackthorn is freed by an enigmatic fey and charged with his rule: for seven years she may not seek revenge for the wrongs done to her and hers; instead she must take up residence in the kingdom of Dalriada and must...

BradleySep 30, 2015

This was a gentle Fantasy with all the traditional, read archetypal, side-characters, but it's real strength is in being a great character-driven novel.
I consider Orlan and Flidais to be side characters in this story, with Blackthorn and Grim being the true gift from the author. Wi...

AngelaJun 10, 2013

The first Juliet Marillier book I read was Shadowfell, and I adored it. I adored that whole series. I've been anxious, ever since, to pick up another book/series by her for a long time.
Finally, I was able to squeeze this start to a new fantasy series in. Dreamer's Pool is the first...

Mogsy (MMOGC)Dec 15, 2013

5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/10/27/b...
?Spellbinding? is the only word to describe Dreamer?s Pool. Reading it was like walking into a gorgeous, living fairy tale. I just loved this book, it?s probably one of the best I?ve read all year?...

Katie MichaelsDec 01, 2015

It seems I am a little late to the party on this introduction to the Blackthorn and Grim series? and I?m even further behind when you consider that this is my first book by Juliet Marillier. For the most part, I enjoyed it. I think that has a lot to do with the three empathetic cha...

CathrynDec 30, 2015

DNF at 40%. I fell asleep trying to read this. At 9:45. When I usually stay up until 11 or 12. I'm indifferent to this book. I don't care what happens next. Moving on. ...

NathanNov 10, 2014

Fantasy Review Barn
Once upon a time Juliet Marillier wrote a fairy tale and it was wonderful. She didn?t revamp an old classic with a new twist. She didn?t write something like a fairy tale that twists all the tropes around. She didn?t even write a fantasy book with a fairy ...

?? BR with my MacHalo Freaks starting January 1, 2016.
? DNF at 41% ?
My first DNF of the year!!! Get the maracas out of storage, people, this calls for a celebration!!!
I'm sure this is the first of many, many DNFs to come, I'm so excited right now! And Ange...

Chelsea â¤Peril Pleaseâ¤ May 11, 2016

To steal the words from my lovely Anna: Buddy Read with the Snake to my Badger....
EEPSSS!!! I CANNOT WAIT....COME OOOOOOONNNN NEW BBF!!!! GRIM! ?
Oh and yes...there WILL be fangirling. Much much fangirling...but you are all used to that...right?! :P
Anna used the ...

AlyssaOct 18, 2014

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier
Book One of the Blackthorn and Grim series
Publisher: ROC Hardcover
Publication Date: November 4, 2014
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Review copy sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
In...

EmmaMay 07, 2016

4.5 stars. My first Juliet Marillier and I picked a good one! I liked our world weary and flawed main characters Blackthorn and Grim. Loved the dreamy fairy tale quality to the story, it seemed timeless and magical. I will definitely read the next in this series.
I am still not sure ...

Dreamer's Pool, the first in the Blackthorn & Grim series by talented author Juliet Marillier, is a solid medieval magical fantasy/mystery. It was also, truthfully, a little too slow-paced for me; I got bored and did a fair amount of skimming in the last half. In fact, I was bored ...

Jessica â â³ Silverbow â³ â Rabid ReadsApr 05, 2014

2/7/18 - ON SALE for $2.99:
http://amzn.to/2fArrPi
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I know I mentioned that I'm a longtime fan of Juliet Marillier in the not too distant past: how I kept reading Shadowfell despite it's lackluster beginning, and how Raven Flight renewed my fai...

ManjuFeb 21, 2018

I had my eyes on this book since forever, so when i saw that one of my friends is doing a BR, I joined.
this book has three plot-lines. While Blackthorn and Grim's has been woven together from the start of the book, Oran met them somewhere just before the halfway. Blackthorn is a h...

Stacey is SassySep 20, 2015

From prison to wise woman?with a little help from Grim.
I read Dreamer?s Pool in book form?as in paper. I haven?t read a book with paper in years and I admit, I tapped a few times before I remembered to turn the page. I also kept looking to the top of the page to check the t...

Milda Page RunnerNov 12, 2016

Morrigan?s britches! This is quite a tale. And I?m still not sure how to classify it.
Dark, dreamy and magical story that is part fairytale part mystery solving/investigation. Two unlikely partners pushed to work together by ever-meddling fey to unravel mysteries that seemed to...

Dino-Jess â® The Book Eating Dinosaur â®Oct 30, 2015

WHAT A WAY TO START OFF MY 2016 READING YEAR
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
Firstly, lets just get this out of the way. Everybody back the hell away from Grim. I want to marry him and have his babies. He's the new leading man in my life. Sorry Terrible . Grim has stolen my heart. LOVE ...

ChokoJul 06, 2014

*** 4.25 ***
A buddy read with my friends at MacHalo group, where fantasy is our life!
Dreamer's Pool is a fairy-tale fantasy of the kind that seems familiar, but is new, and haunting, and beautifully written... It draws you in, cocoons you with comfort and mystery, and keeps yo...

Alienor â French Frowner âNov 28, 2014

Let me put it bluntly, okay? Sometimes we must face the facts, as unpleasant as they are : Nothing in Dreamer's Pool brought me enjoyment. Nothing. That's why, no matter how skilled Juliet Marillier might be with her words, I cannot rate this book anything else than 1 star.
...

Chantal (Every Word A Doorway)Oct 08, 2014

About a year ago I read Juliet Marillier?s debut novel Daughter of the Forest and fell in love. The beauty of her writing, the complexity of the characters, the slow-burn romance and the atmosphere created was incredible and I knew immediately that I wanted to read other books by her...

MagirosaNov 20, 2014

Overall:
Sigh. Big Sigh. I am disappointed in this book for the strangely harsh treatment of female sexuality. However, I must also say, that I love the Blackthorn and Grim characters and would love to read more of their emergence into this strange new life to which they have commit...

Carla *Jen7waters*Jan 29, 2013

I've been trying to write a review for Dreamer's Pool for a long time now, but it's so hard because I never know exactly how to express my love for JM's stories and characters. Let it be known that she's my favorite author of all time, and she can do no wrong.
That said, Dreamer's P...

FrancesJan 26, 2016

Her name is ?Blackthorn?, a skilled magical healer falsely imprisoned and chained to a wall. Nearby in another dank filthy dungeon is Grim, who watches her intently fearing she may soon be taken away and hung. Having barely survived the year, Blackthorn is ready to give testimony t...

Cait â¢ A Page with a ViewJun 02, 2017

I really love this author, but this particular book just didn't work for me. The whole thing was tedious, the writing meandered in circles, and I didn't really like any of the characters (especially the super naive lovesick prince). The mysterious fae guy who offered the deal was intri...

Mayim De VriesFeb 26, 2018

?It?s hard, sometimes, not to make things your business.?
What is the key to writing a successful novel? That is an easy question. A great main protagonist. And the best characters are those built on a conflict where opposites attract and merge. Like, a firefighter non-stop pl...

About the author

Juliet Marillier

Juliet Marillier was born July 27, 1948 in Dunedin, New Zealand and grew up surrounded by Celtic music and stories. Her own Celtic-Gaelic roots inspired her to write her first series, the Sevenwaters Trilogy. Juliet was educated at the University of Otago, where she majored in music and languages, graduating BA and a B Mus (Hons). Her lifelong interest in history, folklore and mythology has had a major influence on her writing.

Juliet is the author of twenty historical fantasy novels for adults and young adults, as well as a book of short fiction. Juliet's novels and short stories have won many awards.

Juliet lives in a 110 year old cottage in a riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia. When not writing, she is active in animal rescue and has her own small pack of needy dogs. She also has four adult children and seven grandchildren. Juliet is a member of the druid order OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.)